CHAPTER I

Unit 1

1. Shorthand is written by sound; thus aim is written am (long sound of a), cat is written kat, knee is written ne.
Since we are learning shorthand to save time in writing, it is necessary to ignore those letters that aren't
pronounced.

Consonants

2. The consonants are arranged in pairs, according to their similarity of sound, and are distinguished by a
difference in length. For instance, k and g are both produced in the same place in the mouth and likewise
resemble each other in shorthand.
The characters for the consonants in this lesson are derived from this elliptical figure:

3. All these consonants are written forward from left to right; th and t and d are struck upwards from the line of
writing. The g given in this lesson is called gay, being the hard sound as in game, get, and not the soft sound heard
in gem, magic. The aspirate h is indicated by a dot placed over the vowel.
Many frequently recurring words are represented by simple alphabetic characters. These abbreviations are
called brief forms. Some of these signs represent two and even three words; for example, the sign
for r represents are, our, hour. A dot on the line of writing represents the articles a, an. A dot at the end of a word
expresses -ing. The pronoun I is expressed by a large circle (written counterclockwise); he, by a small circle.
The student should practice all these characters until he or she can write them without the slightest hesitation.
Let us examine more closely the curve letters k, g, r, and l.

Each of these strokes begins and ends on the same plane. The beginning and the end of k and g rest on the line
of writing. R and l rest on the line of writing as a saucer would rest on a table.
The deep part of the curve in k and in g is at the end; in r and l, at the beginning, as indicated by arrows.
K and r are the same size. The same is true of g and l.
Correctly written, r and l look like k and g when the paper is turned upside down.
The sounds represented by lines are n, m, t, and d:

Even though d is about twice the length of t, d should only go up about two thirds of the line of writing.

4. Phrasing. The joining of simple words is a great help to accuracy and speed in writing shorthand, and its
acquirement should not be deferred until the habit of writing common words separately has been formed.

5. Punctuation, etc. In shorthand the following marks are used:

6. Sentence Drill

7. In shorthand there are twelve distinct vowel sounds, which are arranged in four groups, and three closely
related sounds are placed in each group. In this lesson we have the first two groups, which for convenience are
named the A group and the E group.

Memory aid:

The A Group
 The E Group

Note: The first sound in the E group of vowels is the short i, heard in din, and should not be confused with
long i, heard in dine, which will be given later.

8. Marking Vowels. The vowels are grouped according to similarity in sound. The large circle expresses three
sounds of a. The short sound is unmarked, the medium sound is marked with a dot, and the long sound with a
short dash, as shown in paragraph 7. This system of marking is used in all vowel groups uniformly.
The dot and dash are occasionally needed to indicate the exact sounds in unfamiliar or isolated words, but
otherwise they are seldom used.

Picturing Writing Motion

9. Frequently we shall have to refer to writing motion. The curved characters in this lesson are taken from
horizontal ovals, one written with right motion, the other with left. The right motion is clockwise; the left,
counterclockwise.

10. Characters taken from the left-motion oval are called left-motion, because the rotation is from left to right;
characters taken from the right-motion oval are called right-motion for a like reason; thus:

The terms "left motion" and "right motion" refer to the rotation in movement, and not to the direction.
 How Circles Are Joined

The following movement drills are intended to develop skill in the joining of circles.

11. Circles Joined to Single Strokes. At the beginning or end of a single curve, the circle is placed inside the
curve. Let us examine more closely how to join a circle to a curve, using a-k, a-g, r-a, and l-a.

The dotted line shows the position of the circle in relation to the curve. (Remember, the dotted line in r-a and l-
a does not represent the line of writing. The base of the rand of the l rests on the line of writing.)
The circle joins at a right angle, shown by the arrows above.

Practice with the following sentences:

Key: He lay there in the air. I cannot go. I will not go. Ray is ill. He cannot hear Lee.

12. At the beginning or end of a single straight stroke, the circle is written with right motion. Observe closely
the joinings a-d, d-a, a-m, and m-a.
 In joining the circle to a straight line, start and finish as shown by the dotted lines. Keep straight lines absolutely
straight.

Practice with the following sentences:

Key: I am aiming at him. I hit him in the knee. Eddy is aiming at me. He hit me in the head.

13. Reading and Dictation Practice

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Unit 2

14. Circles Between Strokes. Where an angle, or a point, is formed at the junction of consonants, the circle
goes outside the angle. Observe how the circle joins the strokes in r-a-n and k-a-n:

The straight line begins in the circle, as indicated by the arrows. The dotted line shows the position of the circle
in relation to the other strokes. If the page is turned upside down, the word ran will become the word knack.
Observe how the circle joins in n-a-l and m-e-l:
 To accommodate the circle in these joinings, the n and the m are written slightly longer than they would
normally be written. The arrow shows how the n is extended in the word nail. The dotted line indicates the
position of the circle in relation to the other strokes.

15. Where straight strokes and curves join without an angle, or where two similar-motion curves join without an
angle, the circle is placed inside the curve. Observe how the circle joins the strokes in r-a-t and t-a-k:

In joinings of this type, the blending of the curve with the straight line should be so smooth that the circle
appears to have been inserted afterward. The dotted line shows the position of the circle in relation to the other
strokes.

Practice with the following sentences:

Key: Take the lad to the deck. He is late. The red tag and ticket were at the gate.

16. Some vowels are so obscure or neutral that they are omitted when they do not contribute to speed or
legibility. For example, the e in the words taken and maker is absolutely useless, and is omitted. Any vowel which
does not contribute to the legibility of an outline may be omitted. Any vowel which does not contribute to the
legibility of and outline may be omitted if its omission gives a more facile outline.

17. Between straight strokes in the same direction the circle is written with rightmotion. See the following
outlines of m-a-m and d-e-d:

The joining should be so smooth and snug that, if the circle were eliminated, the two straight lines would blend
into one stroke. Avoid forming points on the circles in the places indicated by the arrows.

18. Between opposite curves the circle is turned back on the first curve.

Observe the outlines of g-a-l and l-a-g:

If the circle were erased, the curves should blend into a continuous stroke. Avoid forming points on the circles in
the places indicated by the arrows.

Consonant Combinations

19. Kr and Gl Combinations. K and r, and g and l, are equal curves and are made a little flatter than usual when
joined, as the following outlines k-r, g-l, and r-kdemonstrate:
In these combinations, the curves are rather shallow. They have a wavelike appearance and are very
fluent. Kr (or rk) is slightly shorter than the combined length of r and k when standing alone. The same is true
of gl (or lg).

20. Gr and Kl Combinations. Where curves of unequal length join without an angle, as in the following, note
how a distinction in length is positively shown in the following outlines, g-r and k-l.

21. Rk and Lk Combinations. Since r and k are of equal length, the curves are somewhat flatter, as
with kr and gl. Lk is very infrequent.

22. The Signs for Th. The sign for t is curved to express th, thus:

As seen in earlier examples, these letters are very small—only about a third of the space between the writing
lines. The curve on the left starts outward at the beginning. Consequently, the curve is deep at the beginning and
flattens out toward the end. The curve on the right starts on the right then swings upward. There should be no
hook at the beginning or the end. The dotted line shows the slant of the strokes. Note the similarity between these
curves and their parent stroke, the t.
 Brief Forms for Common Words

23. A comparatively small number of frequently recurring words make up a large part of the English language.
As an illustration, ten words—the, of and, to, a, in, that, it, is, I—form one-fourth of the entire written and spoken
language.
The forms for these frequent words are based on a very common method of abbreviation in longhand writing.
For example, amt. is written for amount; Rev. for Reverend; gym for gymnasium; ans. for answer; math.
for mathematics, and so on. By taking advantage of this method of abbreviation, brief and easily remembered
shorthand forms are obtained for the most common words in the language. Some of these brief forms consists of
letters you have not yet learned, so do not attempt to learn the new letters until the chapters in which they occur.

*In some phrases they is written the same as the, as in they will.
Note: Refer to the alphabet page for explanation of characters.

24. Business Abbreviations

 25. Reading and Dictation Practice

Unit 3

26. By blending d and t into one long stroke the syllables ted, ded, and det are expressed:

Note: The combination det usually occurs at the beginning of words, as in detect, detach,
while ted or ded usually occurs at the end of a word.

27. By blending m and n into one long stroke the syllables men, mem are expressed. In addition
to men, mem this blend represents similar sounds, such as minin minute, mun in money:
28. Frequent-Word Drill
 29. Brief Forms for Common Words

Note: W is omitted in the word were, and wh in where, when, what; other is expressed by uth; all, by aw placed
on its side; time, by the tem blend; into, by blending in and to. For convenience, the long i in my is expressed by a
large circle.

General Phrasing Principles

30. The following suggestions will be helpful to an understanding of the general principles of phrasing:

1. Short and common words only should be joined, as of the, in the, etc.
2. The words should make good sense if standing alone, as it will be.
3. Pronouns generally are joined to the words they precede, as I can, you are, you can, I would.
4. A qualifying word is usually joined to the word it qualifies, as good man.
5. The words to, of, in, with, and generally are joined to the word following, as to the, of which, in that, with
that, and will.
6. Words that do not make an easily written, distinctive joining should not be phrased.

31. Phrase Drill. The simple phrases given in the drill below are of very high frequency and will serve as models
for other phrases:

32. Reading and Dictation Practice

*Before a downstroke, to is expressed by t.

33. Writing Practice

1. You will need a keen memory when you go to the market today.
2. When you take the grain to the mill you can get your money.
3. Many of our men will go to the train in the rain to greet the team.
4. I am not any more eager to be in debt to you than you are.
5. I am ready to go the limit in getting you the money you need.
6. He had a great desire to read, but he had little time and his reading was limited.
7. I am not willing to go by train, but you can make me a minimum rate by air and rail.
8. The data you need will be ready by the middle of the month.
9. The mill was then making a good metal tag at the rate of eighty a minute.
10. In his dream he was being attacked in the dark by an enemy.

Dear Sir: I am eager to eliminate without any more delay the error made in the minimum drain rate to Erie. I
can meet you at Erie any day you desire. My time is limited and I cannot be there more than a day. It would be
well to get all the data in hand by the time you are ready to do. I will meet you any day you can be there. Yours
truly,